Brassiere



July 14, 1953 H. L scHwAR-rz 2,644,947

BRSSIERE Filed July 15, 1949' 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

M 2 HEHBERTL. SCHWARTZ BY f M1. mi Q /M -v/ TTOHNEYS July 14, 1953 H. L scHwARTz BRASSIERE 2 Sheets-#Sheet 2 Filed July 15, 1949 INVENToR. #ERBE/TTL. SCHWA/WZ fm M/.9

ATTORNEYS Patented ]uly 14, 1953 RAsslRE Herbert L. Schwartz, New York, N. Y., assigner to S & S Industries, Bronx, N. Y., a copartnership composed of Herbert L. Schwartz, Marcus Schwartz, and Elsie Schwartz Application July 15, 1949, serial No. 104,868

Ihis invention relates t brassires.y

It is customary to insert in the breast-supporting cups of a brassire a wire form which is more or less resilient and adapted to preserve the shape of these cups and hold them in place when the brassire is worn. To this end, there is usually inserted in pockets at the rim of the cups of a brassire a wire which is customarily pre-bent into form-giving shape from which it will not readily yield.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide for the cups of a brassire a form-preserver which has all the advantages of a wire form, adjusts itself to any wearers form,

and is more ilexible and accordingly more corn-v fortable to wear than a Wire form.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be fully understood from the following description, considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings: Y

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a form preserver embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken `on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; 4

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a brassire in which the instant form preserver is incorporated;

Fig. 4 shows the brassire when worn; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged sections taken on the lines 5 5 and 6 6, respectively, of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Fig. 3 thereof, the reference numeral I0 designates a brassire in which a form preserver of the present invention may be incorporated. The brassire I0 which may be of any conventional kind, comprises in the present instance a waist band I2 to Which are secured, as by sewing, the customary breast-supporting cups I4, as well as the side and back sections I6 to which the parts I8 of an elastic strap are customarily sewn. The waist band I2 may be in the form of a strong non-elastic tape which may extend to the elastic strap parts I8. The cups I4 may,

if desired, be tailored from separate pieces ofl fabric suitable for the purpose, and these may be sewn to the waist band I2. The side and baci: sections I6 may also be tailored from separate pieces of material and sewn to the waist band I2, as well as to the adjacent margins of the cups I4. The cups I4, which are fashioned in the usual manner, are provided at their `exposed margins with pocket 24, respectively, which s claims. (ci. 2 42) fashion vshown in Fig. 6and securingv them inr place by stitching 216. The pockets 24 in the cups I4 `are open adjacent the waist band l`2 for the insertion thereinto of. a form-preserver 3D. The pockets 24 may, on the inside of the re# spective cups I4, be lined with cushion bands 34, respectively, which may be of any suitable soft material, such as velvet, for instance. `The cushion bands`34 may conveniently be secured to the brassire by the pocket-holdingstitches 26 and additional stitches 21 (Fig. 6),`

Referring now to Fig. 1, the form-preservery 30 comprises, in the present instance, a generally U-shaped part 40 having opposite legs 42 and 'a connecting yoke 44, and being preferably made from resilient wire. The legs 42 of the part 40 are provided with resilient wire extensions 4,6

' which are preferably of finer gauge than the may be formed by doubling-back the adjacent Wire of part 40 and may bevbent intoy a shapev approximating to some extent the normal outline rof the rims of the cups |4 of 'the brassire when worn. Thefwre extensions l46are, in the present instance,v connected with the adjacent legs-42 of the part 4l) through intermediation of ferrules 48. Each ferrule 48 may conveniently' be presstted over the adjacentleg 42 ofthe part' 4D, and be provided with a projectingshank 50 which maybe bored at `52 for the reception; of a wire extension 46.` Each wire extension Y46` may, for secure mounting rin its respective fer-f .ru1e46, be conveniently pressfltted in the bored shank 50 thereof. Passed over each wire exten-A sion`46 is a spiral spring 254 the turns of which may be wound so closely asto form a exible tube. Each spiral spring 54 is conveniently anchored on its respective ferrule 48 being forcibly turned over the shank'50 kof the'latter.v

The springs 54 are straight prior to their placement over the respectivel wire extensions 46, and they will assume the curved disposition shown in Fig. 1 only when passed over the pre-bent wire'extensions 46. Inasmuch as the springs54 have a` tendencyto recover their original straight disposition, it stands to reasonv that they'nor mally bend the pre-formed wire extensions 46 out of their original disposition into a disposition similar to that shown in Fig. 3, for instance,

when the brassre isnot Worn. Thus, the wire extensions 46 are, by the action of the springs 54 and when the brassire isnot worn, suiiiciently-drawn from their pre-formed shape that they denitely deform the brassire cups I4 atv the margins thereof from their intended form` for wear.` Moreover, the wire extensions 46`are preferably vfurther pre-formed, particularly inthe part 40 thereof, normally yieldingly to urge the brassire cups I4 from their normal disposition on the Wearers breasts (Fig. 4) into relatively close proximity to each other (Fig. 3). Hence, some tensioning of the form-preserver 30 is required in order to bring the cups I4 into proper disposition lover the wearers breasts when the brassire is worn. The tension in the form preserver 3!! requisite for this purpose is readily attained on merely applying the brassire to ones person, and is so slight as not toinconvenience the wearer in the least. To this end, it is further preferable to select the Wire extensions 46 and surrounding lsprings 54 so that their combined ilexibility is greater than that of the part 40. The great advantage of the normally resiliently deformed preserver .30 and brassire cups I4 lies, of course, in the forced assumption of the latter of their form-correcting disposition every time they are placed over theA wearers breasts. The instant form preserver 30 thus retains its form-preserving qualities easily over the useful life span of the brassire. The normal and deliberate resilient deformity of the instant form preserve 30 secures the further advantage of lending to the brassire equipped therewith unusual adaptability to differently formed breasts, including misformedv breasts. Thus, the above-mentioned and other advantages of the instant form preserver 3U spring from the concept of its use in a brassire in resiliently deformed condition. The provision of the spiral springs 54 over the wire extensions 46 further lends particularly lasting resiliency to the form preserver 30, as will be readily understood.

The cups I4 of the brassire may be completely separated from each other at the front of the latter so that they are connected only by the waist band I2 (Fig. 3). The marginal pockets 24 in the brassire oups I4are preferably open where the waist band I2 connects the latter, to permit the introduction thereat of the form preserver 30 into the pockets 24. After its introduction into the pockets 24 of the bras- A, sire, the form preserver 3l) may be arrested in the pockets'24 by covering the open ends thereof with a flap l60 (Figs. 3 and 5) which may be sewed to the waist band I2 and adjacent portions of the brassire cups I4.

The wire extensions 46 preferably terminate short of the adjacent ends of the springs 54 which are closed by forced-in caps 62. In thus terminating the wire extensions 46 short of the adjacent ends of the springs 54, a substantial end length of each spring 54 is free to bend unimpeded by the wire extensions 46 in the latter. By this provision, the form preserver 30 conforms more readily to the curvature-of the cups I4 in the vicinity of the side and back sections I6 of the brassire when the latter is Worn.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the present invention Without departing from the underlying idea or principles of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A form preserver for a brassire, comprising a first substantially U-shaped resilient Wire having adjacent legs and a connecting yoke, and iirst and second continuous resilient Wire extensions on each of said legs of which said rst wire extension is next to said leg, said wire extensions on said legs are outwardly curved and the diameter of said rst wire extensions is smaller than the diameter of said nrst wire whereby the iiexibility of said rst wire extensions is greater than that of said rst wire while the flexibility of said second wire extensions is greater than that of said first wire extensions, said adjacent legs converging towards each other in the relaxed condition of said rst Wire.

2. A form preserver for a brassire, comprising a first substantially U-shaped resilient wire having adjacent legs and a connecting yoke, outwardly curved resilient wire extensions on said legs, respectively, said wire extensions being of smaller diameter than said rst wire and having free end portions remote from said legs, and spiral springs surrounding said wire extensions, respectfully, and extending for a substantial distance beyond said free end portions of the latter, consecutive turns of each spring being in uninterrupted engagement with each other and the combined ilexibility of each wire extension and sur-rounding spring being greater than that of said rst wire.

3. In combination with a brassire having a waist band and spaced breast-receiving cupsupwardly extending from said band, continuous resilient wire means extending along said band between said cups and secured to and further extending along the adjacent upwardly extending margins and continuing marginal portions of said spaced cups, said wire means comprising a first substantially U-shaped resilient wire having adjacent legs converging towards each other and a connecting yoke extending along said band between said cups, first resilient wire extensions on said legs, respectively, extending along lengths of said continuing marginal cup portions, respectively,.and second resilient wire extensions on said rst extensions, respectively, extending along the remaining lengths of said continuing marginal cup portions, respectively, said first wire extensions being ofsmaller diameter and having greater flexibility than said rst wire, and said second wire extensions having greater flexibility than said rst wire extensions, said extensions being outwardly curved and adapted to give said cups deliberately misformed marginal outlines diierent from those given to said cups by the wearers breasts when the brassire is worn, said U-shapedresilient wire being effective to yieldingly holdv said cups in engagement with each other when the brassire is not worn.

4. In combination with a brassire having a Waist band and spaced breast-receiving cups upwardly extending from said band, continuous resilient Wire means extending along said band between said cups and secured to and further extending along the adjacent upwardly extending margins and continuing marginal portions of said spaced cups, said Wire means comprising a rst substantially U-shaped resilient wire having adjacent lags extending along said upwardly extending cup margins, respectively, and a connecting yoke extending along said band between said cups, resilient wire extensions on said legs, respectively, extending along lengthwise parts only of said continuing marginal cup portions, re-

spectively, and spiral springs surrounding saidv wire extensions, respectively, and extending along the full longitudinal expanse of said continuing marginal cup portions, respectively, the combined flexibility of each wire extension and surrounding spring being greater than that of said rst wire, said resilient wire extensions and said spiral 5 springs being outwardly curved so as to give said cups deliberately misformed marginal outlines diierent from those given to said cups by the Wearers breasts when the brassire is Worn.

5. A form preserver for a brassire, compris ing a rst substantially U-shaped resilient wire having adjacent legs and a connecting yoke, originally outwardly curved resilient wire extensions secured to said legs, respectively, andhaving free end portions remote from said'legs, originally straight spiral springs surrounding said wire extensions, respectively, and extending for a substantial distance beyond said free end portions of the latter, said springs yieldingly forcing the respective wire extensions into curved shapes other than their original curved shapes, and the combined flexibility of each wire extension and. surrounding spring being greater than that of said rst Wire, said adjacent legs converging towards each other in the relaxed condition of said first wire.

6. In combination with a brassire having a waist band and spaced breast-receiving cups upwardly extending from said band, continuous resilient wire means extending along said band between said cups and secured to and further exsaid legs, respectively, said extensions adjacent said legs converging towards each other into abutting relation, said extensions upwardly from the point of abutting relation thereof being outwardly curved and having a greater iiexibility than said U-shaped wire, said extensions exu tending along said continuing marginal cup portions so as to give said cups deliberately misfiormed vmarginal outlines different from those given to` said cups by the wearers breasts when the brassire is worn, said U-shaped resilient wire being effective to yieldingly hold said cups in engagement with each other when the brassire is not Worn.

HERBERT L. SCHWARTZ.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,045,401 Mowry June 23, 1936 2,436,094 Bowen Feb. 17, 1948 2,457,989 Ettleson Jan. 4, 1949 2,474,699 Silbert et al 1 June 218, 1949 2,483,272 Gluekin Sept. 27, 1949 2,520,009 Kramer Aug. 22, 1950 2,588,603 Anderson Mar. 11, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number i Country Date 413,228 Great Britain July 12, 1934 771,567 France July 30,1934 

